Tadhg Kennelly a happy Swan in Sydney

All-Ireland winner Tadhg Kennelly has started work back in Sydney with the Swans Aussie Rules team and admitted that the lure of professional sport was just too good to turn down.

Kennelly is also keen to repay a debt to Swans coach Paul Roos who will bring his time at the club to an end this year after 10 years at the helm.

“Paul and I have got a great relationship and it was obviously part of the decision in my mind that it was his last year,” said Kennelly.

“Kind of in a subconscious way, knowing that it was Roosy’s last year as well, I thought I’d love to be part of it. Him and assistant coach George Stone have been the two biggest influences on my career.

“He has enabled me to express myself in football and really express my opinions on and off the field. Probably the biggest thing was when I did lose my father it was Roosy saying how there’s bigger things in life you lose than football.”

Kennelly also spoke about his desire to return to professional sport after a year juggling work with football in Kerry.

He added, “A lot of it is a lifestyle decision, too. I don’t think I will ever take being a player in the AFL for granted.

“Sometimes you do take it for granted when you do a pre-season and complain because you have to train, but you don’t have to get up at seven o’clock in the morning to work a job.

“I worked for the first time in my life at 28 years of age when I was at home. It really struck home to me last year, and the biggest decision to come out was a lifestyle decision compared to the two countries.”